全球化背景下的英语学习和教育：挑战和机遇

English learning and education in the context of globalization: Challenges and opportunities

本文讨论全球化背景下英语学习和教育的特征，及其带来的挑战和机遇。全球化背景下的语言文化具有“动”与“变”的特征，其进程打破或淡化了原本泾渭分明的英语作为“外语”与“第二语言”之界限，随之而来的是一系列疆界的打破：“学习”与“使用”或“娱乐”、教室“内”与教室“外”、“虚拟”与“现实”语境等界限。上述疆界的打破为我国的英语学习、教育和相关研究同时带来了挑战和机遇。“目的语”、“学习情境”、“学习者”、“教育者”、“学习过程”、“学习结果”等基本概念都有待重新审视；对资源的重新考察、定位和开发，有望为我国的英语教育注入新的活力。

This paper discusses characteristics of English learning and education in the context of globalization, and the challenges and opportunities it has brought about. Globalized language and culture are characterized by "mobility" and "flow", which has broken or softened the previously clear-cut boundaries between "EFL" and "ESL". Accompanied with this is the breaking of a series of boundaries—those between "learning" and "use" or "play", between "inside" and "outside" of the classroom, between "virtual" and "real" world, and so on. The breaking of such boundaries has created challenges and opportunities for English learning and education and related research in China. Basic concepts such as "target language", "learning context", "learner", "educator", "learning process" and "learning outcome" need to be re-examined. The re-visit and re-positioning of learning resources will be conducive to the development of English education in China.